Schuylkill judge levy impaired driving punishments

Friday, March 28, 2014

By CHRIS PARKER cparker@tnonline.com

Schuylkill County President Judge William Baldwin on March 19 sentenced Thomas A. Armbruster Jr., 60, of Bowmanstown to six months of intermediate punishment for driving under the influence (DUI) of a controlled substance.

Armbruster must serve 15 days on house arrest with electronic surveillance, for which he will pay $12 a day. He must then be on 45 days of strict supervision, followed by four months of probation. Armbruster must also pay prosecution costs; a $1,000 fine; $100 to the Substance Abuse Education fund; $50 a month supervision fee; and $50 to the catastrophe fund. He must complete Alcohol Highway Safety School; attend and complete outpatient substance abuse treatment; have his license suspended for 12 months; perform 10 hours of community service and pay $460 in restitution to the Schuylkill Medical Center -S. Jackson St., Pottsville.

Baldwin also sentenced Armbruster to 12 months of probation on a related charge, to be served after the intermediate punishment.

Armbruster was charged Feb. 10 after he failed to stop for a red light in Rush Township.

On March 19, Baldwin sentenced Thomas Mace, 66, of Tamaqua, who was charged by Rush Township police with DUI after an accident on April 14.

He must serve six months of probation; pay a $300 fine; wear an ankle bracelet for 60 days; complete a substance abuse outpatient treatment program; not possess or consume alcoholic beverages or have them in his house.

Mace also must pay a $50 monthly supervision fee; $50 to the Criminal Justice Education Account fund; and other fees.

Baldwin sentenced Shawn Pettis, 48, of Coaldale on charges of DUI, careless driving, fleeing police, and driving in the wrong lane. He was charged June 19, 2013, by Tamaqua police.

Pettis must serve 72 hours to six months in the county jail; pay a $1,000 fine on the DUI charge; serve 18 months of probation on the fleeing charge, and a $25 fine for driving in the wrong lane. He also must pay various fees, have his license suspended for a year; perform 10 hours of community service, and complete Alcohol Highway Safety School.

The charges stem from an incident on March 17, 2013, in Tamaqua.

Also, Judge Charles M. Miller on March 19 sentenced Levi G. Warren, 30, of Tamaqua, to serve 72 hours to six months in the county jail; pay a $1,000 fine and have his license suspended for a year; pay restitution of $100 to the Coaldale police department, and $1,296.85 to Don Kesler; pay $60 to the SMC; complete Alcohol Highway Safety School; pay $300 to the Substance Abuse Education fund; perform 10 hours of community service; and pay various fees.

Warren was charged July 7, 2013, with two counts of DUI, an accident causing damage to an unattended vehicle, and disregarding traffic lanes.